Draco Malfoy; Accused
by Adela H
Summary: Intrigue, Mystery and Ginny does a little detective work. Draco is accused of a mass murder and Ginny is the only one who believes his innocense.
1. Chapter One: Innocent?

Chapter One: Innocent?  
  
Ginny looked around the stark white room. She noted the smallness and lack of décor. The walls were painted white and the candles floating overhead gave only enough light to cast shadows into the corners. There was a small table and Ginny had neatly placed her notebook, quill and ink and recording device she had picked up at a muggle shop a few months ago, on top. Her bag was sitting against one of the table legs and she was seated in one of the two chairs. Across from her was the other chair, empty at the moment, and beyond that the only door that led into the room.  
  
"Calm down." Ginny told herself, wiping her sweating hands on her robes.  
  
Her hands began to shake slightly but Ginny produced a vial from her back and drank its contents. Slowly her nerves settled.  
  
This was Ginny's big chance. Her once-In-a-lifetime chance. Her only chance.  
  
She had been working at the Daily Prophet for a year, ever since she graduated from Hogwarts, and it was "Ginny get me coffee," or "Ginny, fetch me some more ink." And quite frankly Ginny was tired of being treated as if she were a common intern. She had excellent credentials. She had started and edited Hogwarts first student newspaper. She had interned for a summer semester at Witch Weekly and she applied at The Daily Prophet for a reporters job…not a Go-For job.  
  
That's when Ginny had been fed up. She went to Harry for help for he often was there when she needed someone to vent her problems to. He offered to give her an interview, something he never did. Ginny was thrilled and after the interview wrote up a perfect article on The-Boy-Who-Lived.  
  
At first her adviser laughed at what he thought was a joke, but Ginny was prepared for that. She brought Harry along with her and her vouched for the validity of the article. Needless to say they printed it in the next issue and Ginny was given command of one of the departments.  
  
Ginny's memories stopped as she heard some rustling from behind the door, but whoever or whatever it was, it passed. She exhaled the breath she had been holding then reminded herself she needed to stay cool.  
  
When her boss came up to her yesterday and told her of the assignment he had given her she could feel her heart drop and her blood run cold. This was one of the biggest articles out there and Ginny was given the responsibility. She almost refused to take it, but if she refused she'd be fired, and if she did badly she'd be fired.  
  
She looked at her notebook and the first page had many scratched out article names. She knew the editor would choose title of her article, but she could always imagine those few perfect words, printed in black and white that would send chills down everyone's spine.  
  
"Murderous Man Caught" had been first and quickly scratched out. "Thirty Two Dead: Man Caught" was next, but that wasn't good enough either. Many more titles were scratched out here and there and Ginny's eyes slowly rested on the last. "Draco Malfoy; Accused."  
  
Every other article she had written she was able to separate herself from. She was able to keep cool when writing about the terrible accident involving Muggles and Witches in London. She didn't know anyone who had been hurt. She was able to be indifferent. But Draco Malfoy was different.  
  
Ginny really didn't have a chance to get to know Draco when she was at Hogwarts. He was in a completely different crowd and if their paths ever met it was completely by accident. She had remembered how he acted her first few years. Very rude, very outspoken. But she did notice that his last two years of Hogwarts he had closed up. Stopped hanging with his friends, usually sat by himself. Never threw insults at how red her hair was as they passed each other in the halls. His eyes changed the most. Where once there was disdain and pride, there was now…nothing. No emotion, nothing to give away his feelings. It was as if he was a walking corpse, and the thought sent shivers throughout her body.  
  
Ginny jumped in her chair when the door opened. A nice looking man came into the room and sat down in front of Ginny.  
  
"Look, we're giving you one hour…you hear me?" The man said rather sternly.  
  
Ginny nodded her head.  
  
"I don't know why we're doing this. He should have been sent straight to Azkaban if you ask me. The Minister of Magic said the people need peace of mind…a little closure." The man sitting across from her was wearing black robes and his brown hair was curling all over the place. His jaw line was square and very chiseled, like he had been created by a master sculptor. Ginny raised an eyebrow as she imagined what it would be like to run her fingers through those soft tresses.  
  
"Someone said something about a briefing…I'm assuming this is it?" Ginny folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair.  
  
The man smiled. "They said you were biting." He cleared his throat. "The deal is we have him under a spell. Don't worry, he's conscious…it's just that in order to assure your safety and the safety of others we had to sort of tranquilize him."  
  
"You did what?" Ginny sat up strait, her hands crashing on top of the table.  
  
"Whoa, settle down." The man backed off. "He's ok, don't worry…you'll get your precious article." He paused. "Look, after this mess is cleaned up…I was thinking that you look like you need a night out."  
  
Ginny smiled, "Oh yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. Maybe I could take you to a Muggle Night Club. They have excellent music."  
  
Ginny grinned, "Perhaps."  
  
The man got up then walked out the door. Ginny began to laugh within herself.  
  
"First an award winning article falls into my lap and now a date with a delicious man. Oh, Virginia, you're life is just falling right into place."  
  
The door slowly opened again and this time two wizards came in carrying what seemed to be a limp body between them. The person's head was lolling back and forth, his unwashed silver hair falling over his eyes. They sat him down in front of Ginny then exited the room. She could hear them place locking charms on the door and wondered how she was supposed to get out if something happened.  
  
She tore her eyes away from the door and she looked at the person across from her. She couldn't see his face, it was hanging down. Her heart beat quickened.  
  
"You fool, you only have an hour!" She berated herself for the awful waste of time.  
  
"Ahem." She said aloud. No responding. "Excuse me?"  
  
The person slowly lifted his head then looked straight through her. His eyes came into focus and Ginny could feel his gaze on her as if it was heavy winter cloak. She looked into those eyes and she almost felt sorry for the boy. The emotion was gone…or was it?  
  
"Hello, I'm—" Ginny was about to say but was startled when Draco spoke.  
  
"Virginia Weasley." His voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used in days. "I remember you from school." His words were slurred but Ginny understood him in spite of that. But what he said next took her completely by surprise. "You have to help me…I'm innocent."  
  
  
(A/N: Ok, i wanted to write this life altering fic...well for me anyway. I'm testing out my writing skills right now, so bare with me.  
I love mysteries, intrigues and romance so I thought I'd try my hand at one. I would greatly apprecitae your feed back!) 


	2. Chapter Two: The Interview Begins

Chapter Two: The Interview Begins  
  
Ginny could kick herself! She fumbled for the recording device and pushed the red button that would record everything that was said in the room.  
  
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Ginny tried to play it off as if she hadn't heard him…but she had.  
  
Draco closed his eyes and gulped. Ginny was on the edge of her seat, willing Draco to repeat himself.  
  
His eyes slowly opened. "I'm innocent." Draco repeated, as if every word, every syllable took too much effort to say, to form words was asking the impossible.  
  
"There is evidence…witnesses." Ginny began scratching future questions on her notebook. One thing she was known for was to be able to do more than two things at once. Her ear was intent on everything Draco was saying, her hand was intent on writing down questions and her head was swimming with the praise she would get.  
  
"Planted." Draco stated.  
  
"Are you saying the evidence was planted?" Ginny quickly asked.  
  
Draco nodded his head.  
  
"Could you please say yes or no?" Ginny needed to get this on tape.  
  
"Yes." He slowly said.  
  
"But the witnesses saw you at the scene of the crime." Ginny knew Draco would have been easy to spot, his alluring silver hair, which was now greasy and uncombed, had been his best feature. His pale skin was also hard to mistake.  
  
"Not me."  
  
"Not you? It was someone else?" Ginny wished he would answer faster.  
  
He nodded his head.  
  
"Please, say yes or no."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You had no alibi. Your wand was found at the scene." Ginny flinched…he already said everything was planted, she didn't want to backtrack.  
  
"Someone—else."  
  
Looking down at her watch she noticed ten minutes had slipped by. She scanned the many questions she wrote down.  
  
"If you weren't at the crime scene, then where were you?" How lame, Ginny thought, then she added. "You were found two blocks from the scene."  
  
"I was meeting someone…" Draco paused and looked as if he would slip into sleep.  
  
"Wake up!" Ginny yelled, causing Draco to fling his eyes open wide. "Who were you meeting?"  
  
"Slytherin."  
  
"Slytherin?" Ginny's brain exploded with a thousand questions. "A fellow Slytherin? A man named Slytherin? A nickname?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes to what?" Ginny wanted to scream.  
  
Here she was, exploring the fact that Draco was innocent, when she had originally come to get some sob story about how his parents beat him and that's why he killed those people. She looked swiftly at the recorder, making sure it was still going.  
  
"Could you please answer each question separately?"  
  
"Yes to all."  
  
Scratchscratchscratch, went the quill. Ginny was sorely tempted to bring her wand out and form a counter charm that would make him more alert.  
  
"Did you know this man?"  
  
"No…only by owl. Framing me. Wanted me to…"  
  
Ginny looked down at her watch, then back at Draco. "Wanted you to do what? To kill the people?"  
  
He shook his head. "No. Wanted to meet. Heard loud crash and began running away."  
  
"This man, Slytherin, you have no idea who he is? Did you tell the officials of these letters?"  
  
"No…no time to. Innocent."  
  
"I can't prove you're innocence unless you give me something to go on. How did you come into contact with him?"  
  
"Voldemort."  
  
Ginny cringed at the name.  
  
"He's a Death-Eater?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"We--were you a Death-Eater?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you know why this man was framing you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Draco closed his eyes again. "Harry."  
  
Ginny's heart stopped. Harry…her Harry. Some unknown man named Slytherin wanted Harry. Was Harry in danger? "Why did they want Harry? Answer me, dang it!"  
  
For the first time that evening Draco showed some emotion. A small grin played across his face. "Not him…his."  
  
"I don't understand! Not him…his? His what?"  
  
"Eyes…eyes."  
  
"Eyes…his eyes? His glasses? His eyes…" What did all this mean?  
  
Draco began shaking his head back and forth.  
  
"Not his eyes?"  
  
He shook his head again. "No."  
  
"Make some sense, dang it!" Ginny stood up and shook Draco by the shoulders. She lowered herself so their eyes were even with each other.  
  
"Do they want to harm Harry?"  
  
"If they have to…yes."  
  
"Will they kidnap him? Hurt him?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Soon."  
  
"Did they want you to do kidnap him?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you refused…is that why they wanted you framed?"  
  
"Yes. I knew too much."  
  
"How come you didn't tell the officials?"  
  
"Wouldn't believe me…but you." Draco's eyes burned with emotion now, were overflowing with it. "I'm innocent. Help me."  
  
Ginny looked around the room as if an answer would present itself. As if the walls would suddenly open up and they would both be free.  
  
"When? When!?!"  
  
"Soon…"  
  
Ginny stood up. Looking at her watch she saw that she had ten minutes left. Her hair had come undone from the bun she put it in, tendrils of firey red framing her face. She quickly put it back up and straitened her clothes. She walked back to her chair and tried to get a hold on herself.  
  
"He could be lying." Part of her said. It was against wizarding law to make someone drink veritaserum when interviewing for an article. "But what if he isn't?" Another part of her said… a more familiar part. The voice that always told her to go and achieve and grab whatever she could had gotten her thus far. Would it now help her to save Harry?  
  
"Where are these letters?" Ginny reverted back to another branch she hadn't explored.  
  
"My house."  
  
"Not Malfoy Manor?"  
  
Ginny could have been seeing things, but she thought she saw Draco shiver. "No…42 Surrey Lane."  
  
"And these letters are there? Does anyone else know about these letters?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Did you have them hidden? Could this Slytherin have stolen them?"  
  
"No…transfigured. Riddles."  
  
Riddles? Ginny thought. That's exactly what we're doing. He's throwing riddles at me and I have to solve them.  
  
"What do you mean? What are they transfigured to?"  
  
A silly grin. "Riddles."  
  
Ginny was about to demand to be answered properly when the door opened and the two men came to get Draco. Ginny watched as they dragged him away, his eyes intently watching her. She felt completely helpless.  
  
"How did it go?" The man from before with the curly hair asked, coming into the room.  
  
"Very weird." Ginny said as she began packing up her things.  
  
"Could you give me a little sneak peak at the front page of the Daily Prophet tomorrow?" He asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid that's top secret stuff." Ginny smiled in spite of the nervous wreck she was.  
  
"So how about I pick you up later?"  
  
"I don't even know your name."  
  
"Ryan." He smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ryan, but I have to finish this article and I'm rather worn out. Maybe some other time." Ginny stood up then produced a card with her name, and address.  
  
"Of course. I'm sorry."  
  
Ginny left the room, hoping to never have to enter it again any time soon. She walked down the long hallway, her heels clicking over the tiled floor. She left the building and instantly saw a huge crowd of people near the front entrance. She walked closer to the crowd and saw the car that would take Draco to Azkaban. Suddenly the crowd got louder.  
  
The doors opened and the two men and Draco came down the steps. Ginny watched as the crowd threw insults and words at Draco, but he was too doped up to care. Ginny looked around at the many faces and saw their expressions contorted and twisted. Hate is such an ugly thing, she thought.  
  
The door to the car was opened and Draco was placed inside. Soon the car took off and the crowd began to dissolve. Ginny headed towards her car and go in. She clutched at the steering wheel and sighed deeply. She started the car then began to zoom around London.  
  
Driving was a release for Ginny. She'd often take her car into the countryside and just speed past the scenery. Many witches and wizards refused to drive common Muggle cars but Ginny liked to. It calmed her, made her feel more in control. But she had no time for that right now. She headed straight for the Daily Prophet.  
  
The Daily Prophet was situated between Gringotts and the Ministry building. The place was always buzzing with people. Columnists rushing around, trying to get their work done at the last minute. Angry supervisors yelling at poor interns. Ginny felt alive! This was her place to be! She headed straight for her office and pulled her work out, but she was soon interrupted.  
  
"So how did it go?" Her boss, Mr. Hobbs, asked.  
  
"Swimmingly." Ginny smiled sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, I'd feel that way after interviewing a mad man too."  
  
"The thing is…I sort of believed him when he said he was innocent."  
  
"What?" Her boss's jovial face soon turned sour. "Believed him? He's mad, Virginia. He'd say anything."  
  
"I know." Ginny sighed. "I'll have the article done soon."  
  
"Good." Hobbs took one last look at her, then shut the door.  
  
She began working on her article but didn't know quite what to write. She didn't get the story she went to get. No one would want to hear proclaimed innocence of a man they all wished dead. So she wrote about intrigue and conspiracy. She didn't come right out and say Draco was innocent, rather that Draco must have been working under someone higher. She knew her article would place more fear in the Wizarding World, but she refused write something other than the truth as she saw it.  
  
She was just finishing when the door burst open and a fellow worker came in.  
  
"Look, I talked with the mad man…no big deal—" Ginny stopped at seeing the horrified look on the boys face.  
  
"You better put that article on hold." He said.  
  
"Why?" Ginny got up and went to the door. The office was disheveled… more so than it usually is. Papers were flying everywhere and people were running back and forth, knocking down interns as they went. Hobbs was yelling at the top of his lungs to quite every down and finally he was heard. An eerie silence fell across the room.  
  
"It's true." He said rather somberly. "Just got the message…Draco Malfoy escaped en route to Azkaban."  
  
  
(A/N: Ok, I hope you guys like this 'cause i enjoy writing it. My last fic that I thoroughly enjoyed writing only got three reviews :*(. This is the first time ever that i've written a story like this, fanfic or not, so please be gentle.) 


	3. Chapter Three: Snooping

Chapter Three: Snooping  
  
"What do you mean?" Ginny rushed up to Hobbs, trying to get her questions through the noise that broke out.  
  
"What?" Hobbs yelled. "Come into my office!"  
  
Ginny followed him behind the doors and instantly the noise was shut out by a silencing charm. Ginny noted the bareness of Hobb's office. It almost reminded her of the small room she had the interview in. The desk was covered with papers and a huge fireplace was in the corner. Ginny sat down in front of the desk and Hobbs sat behind it.  
  
"How could this have happened?" Ginny stated rather than questioned. "I thought there was supposed to be charms over the vehicle! What kind of Ministry are we running here?"  
  
"Calm down, Virginia." Hobbs spoke soothingly. "I haven't got all the details but I do know that he escaped on the coast, just as they were about to fly over the ocean. They have people looking for him and soon they'll catch him. I just want to put your article on hold until they do catch him, though. What's the point in printing something that's obsolete?"  
  
Ginny breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly. Why was she getting so involved with this assignment? Why did she feel like it was somehow her fault he escaped? And why did she feel impending danger?  
  
"Virginia, you've been through a lot. I want you to take the rest of the day off." Hobbs placed his hand over Ginny's. "Take tomorrow off as well." He gave her a fatherly smile, then got up from his desk and escorted Ginny to her car.  
  
Ginny got into the car and was prepared to drive off when she quickly rolled down her window and shouted at Hobbs' retreating back. "Contact me when you get more news?"  
  
Hobbs turned around and smiled, giving her a thumbs up.  
  
Ginny didn't know if this day could get any worse. She drove slowly home in case the fates were out to get her via car accident. She pulled up to her apartment complex and went directly to her door. She fumbled with her keys and noticed that a neighbors door slowly opened. Ginny looked up and the door quickly slammed shut.  
  
"Weirdos." Ginny mumbled, pushing her way into her place.  
  
Ginny couldn't afford anything better than her tiny apartment. It wasn't in the nicest neighborhood either. She'd often see gangs of kids wearing nothing but black walk up and down the streets and the people above her played obnoxiously loud music. She had a strong suspicion her next door neighbor was some sort of pervert, his blinds would always be closed except for a small hole in the corner. It freaked Ginny out every time he opened his door to leave that she'd grab hold of her wand…just in case.  
  
The apartment itself was done up pretty nice on the inside. It was always clean, mostly because her Mother made weekly visits and due to the fact that she was hardly at home any more. She'd often order out and stay at the office to finish up last minute work. Just as she sat down to relax the booming of her upstairs neighbor's radio echoed the walls.  
  
"Argh!" Ginny let out a frustrated grunt. She had come home to relax, not to have her ear drums damaged beyond repair.  
  
She was itching to grab her wand and curse whoever was above her, but then she'd probably have her wand snapped in two by Ministry officials. What's the point in having a wand if I can't use it? She wondered.  
  
Dismissing her order to relax, she got up and went into the kitchen. The fridge was full of snack foods and things that could be microwaved in no time flat. She brought out a frozen dinner and touched it with her wand. It instantly began to steam and Ginny ate it right there at the counter.  
  
The evening passed by and Ginny began to get wrestles. She had no word from Hobbs and she wondered if everything was all right. Of course they'd catch Draco again. It was only a matter of time. But why did she have that icky feeling in the pit of her stomach? A loud banging on the door startled her. Ginny grabbed her wand and cautiously moved towards the door. The banging persisted and Ginny looked through the peephole.  
  
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her wand on the counter and opening the door.  
  
"Ginny! I can't believe you didn't tell us all!" Harry came into the apartment and stood directly in front of her.  
  
"Tell you wh—oh, that." Ginny smiled rather sheepishly. Why didn't she tell everyone?  
  
"We just heard on the WWN at the office and I came straight here! I owled your folks and Ron. Are you alright? Did you know he was going to escape? Did he give anything away during the interview?"  
  
Ginny bit her bottom lip and shook her head. Why is it that whenever she was in Harry's presence she felt like she was eleven all over again? She felt like that scared girl who had a crush on the biggest celebrity. She thought she'd never live it down.  
  
"No, Harry, he didn't give anything away." But speaking of the interview brought Ginny's thoughts tumbling back down to the fact that Draco said Harry was in danger. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Of course I'm alright." Harry looked astonished. "What makes you think I wouldn't be?"  
  
Ginny looked around the room. Should she tell him? Would he pass it off as some stupid joke Draco thought playing before he was carted off forever?  
  
"Nothing." Ginny sighed.  
  
"Ginny, when are you going to move out of this dump? Your neighbors are creepy." Harry said, sitting on one of the chairs in the living room.  
  
"This is all I can afford at the moment. As soon as my name gets out there I'll be filthy rich and living in the lap of luxury." Ginny smiled.  
  
They both began laughing and Ginny thought about how she felt so at east with him, even after what happened between them last year. Ginny had come home after graduating to get things ready for her job at the Daily Prophet. Harry and Ron were staying at the Burrow as well and Harry and Ginny had both grown since when they were young. Ginny was now a beautiful young woman and Harry a very attractive young man. They had begun dating but Ginny soon found their relationship lacked something she desperately needed.  
  
Not wanting to hurt Harry's feeling by telling him he didn't live up to her expectations, she announced she hadn't had time for a real relationship then. And without any awkward moments they hugged and returned to being just friends.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, seeing Ginny's gaze on something other than the present.  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing…I was just thinking."  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"Well, what if Draco is innocent?" Before Harry could put his two cents in Ginny continued. "I know what you're thinking. If Draco says he's innocent then it only proves his guilt but…" Ginny didn't know how to explain what she felt when Draco was sitting across from her.  
  
"Go on." Harry prodded.  
  
"Well…I just had this feeling that not everything fit. That there was something missing from this whole deal, but I don't know what and I don't know how to figure it out."  
  
They both sat in silence a while before Harry spoke up. "I can't deny your feelings weren't sincere or valid but I don't see how there's any room for innocence."  
  
"Thanks Harry." At that point Ginny just wanted to get some sleep and forget everything that was happening for a while. "I'll see you!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and watched him leave her complex.  
  
Ginny flung herself on the couch and felt like sleeping but there was something nagging at her. She looked around her room at the chairs and table and the few pictures on the walls. Her eyes finally rested on her bag that was leaning against the wall. She got off the couch and made her way towards the bag and took out the tape recorder. She pushed the rewound button, then play  
  
"Where are these letters?"  
  
"My house."  
  
"Not Malfoy Manor?"  
  
"No…42 Surrey Lane."  
  
"And these letters are there? Does anyone else know about these letters?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Did you have them hidden? Could this Slytherin have stolen them?"  
  
"No…transfigured. Riddles."  
  
"What do you mean? What are the—"  
  
Ginny pushed the stop button then rewound again and listened to this bit of interview over and over.  
  
"Riddles?" She said to herself, looking ahead into the unknown.  
  
What could that possibly mean? She thought, playing the tape once more. Ginny rifled through her papers and came across Draco's crime file. She flipped through the pages, reading the reports on the crime, the witnesses, the victims. Thirty-two people were killed, all assumed Muggles but only one person was unaccounted for, passed off as a bum. The witnesses were Muggles of course.  
  
Hobbs said Draco had escaped. But how could he? He was completely docile when they had their interview, and those types of spells just don't wear off so easily. She couldn't see how he even found the strength to get up on his own, let alone overtake two guards and run from the car.  
  
"Something's not right." Ginny muttered to herself, tapping her lip with her forefinger.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The next day crept into Ginny's apartment like an unwelcome guest. The light forced her eyes to open and she muttered curses under her breath. She didn't want to get up. She had the day off! She definitely didn't want to spend it waking up before ten.  
  
Ginny squeezed her eyes closed, begging sleep to return. But quite suddenly the noise from above forced her up.  
  
Ginny walked into the bathroom and noted her wrinkled clothes and untidy hair. She had slept on the couch and quite suddenly she remembered why. She had been up all night going through the papers until she thought she'd scream. The last time she looked at the clock it was 11:30, but she suspected she stayed up well past midnight.  
  
After taking a quick shower she dressed and went directly to the pile of papers on the floor. She had scratched a few notes on a piece of parchment, which she didn't remember taking, but one thing stuck out. Circled four times were the words "42 Surrey Lane." Ginny grabbed the parchment and headed out the door.  
  
The drive was a short one. In no less the ten minutes Ginny had parked her car on the corner of Surrey Lane and made her way down the streets. The block was full of old Victorian Houses turned into apartments and flats. It was a pretty nice neighborhood, but it didn't scream that a Malfoy lived anywhere near the houses. Number 42 was a tall house with an iron gate out front. There looked to be about four different people living in the flats according to the intercom.  
  
"Where's Malfoy?" Ginny ran her fingers down the names but none of them were Draco's. "Burns, Smith, Orcad and Schneider."  
  
Ginny walked back onto the sidewalk to make sure she was at the right address, but there was no mistaking it. On the side of the house there was a large, brass number 42. She walked back up to the intercom and was about to puzzle over the names when someone walked out of the house.  
  
"Hello, and who are you?" An old woman with a cane stood in front of Ginny. Her iron gray hair was tied up in a round bun and her hunched shoulders were clothed with an old brown sweater. From under her floral patterned skirt, two small feet poked out. Her face looked weather beaten with time, and Ginny didn't think she'd get any help from this woman.  
  
"I was looking for a friend of mine but he's not answering the intercom." Ginny motioned to the intercom.  
  
The woman's gaze followed Ginny's hand, then landed upon Ginny. "It's that young man, Jake or Drake or something." The woman flung her hand in the air as if it didn't matter. "He's been gone for days now and he's missed his rent. Always said, 'Please, Mrs. Smith, let me pay you tomorrow,' or 'Please, Mrs. Smith, I'll have the money by the end of the week.' Well, it's been a whole month together!"  
  
"Oh, um…" Ginny paused. "Well, you see, he sent me over to get his things and I thought he'd be here, but I suppose he's at my place already."  
  
"Eh? Are you here to pay his rent then?" The lady looked at her in a new light.  
  
Ginny searched her pockets for any Muggle money she had and produced 75£s. "Will this do?"  
  
The woman snatched the money out of Ginny's hands before she could say anything. "He still owes 100£ and you make sure and tell him!" The woman rushed down the stairs, astonishing Ginny at her agility, then disappeared down the street. She looked back at the door and noticed that the woman forgot to close it all the way.  
  
Ginny looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quietly entered the building, closing the door behind her. Two doors were on either side of her, one marked "Smith," the other marked "Burns." She knew Smith wasn't his, so she turned to Burns. She pressed her ear against the door and heard muffled voices.  
  
"That's not it." She thought, then she climbed the stairs that were in front of her. On the second level were two more doors, one marked "Schneider" the other "Orcad."  
  
"Schneider…Orcad." Ginny stood there, contemplating the different names when it hit her! "Orcad…Draco!" She made her way to the door and tried the handle, but it was locked. Again making sure no one was looking she produced her wand and muttered an unlocking charm. She heard a soft click and the door swung freely open.  
  
The room was still and silent, causing Ginny's heart to beat quickly. She had never done anything like this, and she wasn't sure she was up to it. The wooden floor creaked under her weight, causing her to slow her pace. There was a small sitting area and a small kitchen. On the further wall was a door that must have been the bedroom.  
  
Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at Ginny. If she didn't know she was in Draco's place, she'd have guessed it was a common Muggle dwelling. Not on scrap of magic artifact was anywhere! Not one robe, not even a moving picture or anything. It was as if Draco wished to be forgotten by the Magical community, and went to great lengths to make it so.  
  
Now that Ginny thought about it, after Draco graduated Hogwarts she hadn't heard anything of him since. And considering from the prosperous family he was from, it would have been difficult.  
  
Beside the Muggle television was a bookshelf. Ginny glanced at the titles, noting the Muggle philosophy books. She rummaged through the kitchen cupboards and fridge and found nothing as well. She was beginning to think her search was fruitless when she entered his bedroom. She stood in the doorway, looking around. There were only two items in the room. A bed and a waste paper basket. On the right wall was a window with the blinds drawn shut. Ginny walked to the window and opened the blinds, sneezing on the dust that had collected on them. She blinked as the sunlight filtered through.  
  
"Absolutely nothing." Ginny muttered.  
  
Out of pure boredom she stripped his bed and flipped it over, still finding nothing. Turning to the waste paper basket she thought "what the heck," and dumped it out. Some crumpled up candy wrappers, a wad of tissue and a red plastic sack lay on the floor. The candy wrappers and tissue were of no importance, but Ginny picked the plastic bag up to inspect it when she heard something from the outer room. Plastic bag still I hand, Ginny tiptoed to the bedroom door.  
  
"Someone is trying to get in!" Ginny shrieked to herself.  
  
She slowly closed the bedroom door closed and stuffed the plastic bag in her pants and headed for the window. She opened it and was grateful there was no screen. She looked down at a small shed. She swung her first leg out the window just as she heard the front door open. Her other leg was caught and she pulled with all her might to free herself. Finally getting her leg free, she tumbled down onto the roof of the shed, wincing in pain.  
  
"Crap!" She yelled, rubbing her thigh.  
  
Collecting her wits, she crawled to the edge of the shed and jumped the five feet down, falling in the process. She looked up at the window and saw a figure pass by. Ginny quickly made her way past the shed along the fence to the side gate. The latch was locked, so she was forced to climb onto a garbage and fling herself over the side, yet again causing herself injury.  
  
"Who are you!" Ginny turned around, startled, but saw that it was only the old lady at the front steps confronting a man.  
  
Ginny couldn't see who the man was, his back was facing her, but he was tall and wearing a gray suite. She crouched behind a row of bushes to keep from being seen.  
  
"I have come to collect Mr. Orcad's things." The man replied, in a deep voice.  
  
"Are you with that red head?" Ginny clutched her hands in fear. "She came a while ago and gave me some of the rent money. I need the rest—" But before the woman could finish the man pulled something out of his pocket and said, "Obliverate."  
  
"He's a wizard!" Ginny gasped.  
  
The man quickly turned around, hearing Ginny's gasp. She ducked down even further behind the bushes, but the man had seen something! He made his way down the steps but before he could get any further someone yelled for him to enter the building. Taking one last look the bushes he entered.  
  
Making sure the man was out of site, Ginny ran from the bushes, onto the sidewalk and down to her car. Not even daring to look back she started the engine and slammed on the gas, causing the tires to squeel in protest. She didn't feel safe until she was on the outer edge of town, and even then she refused to let her guard down.  
  
  
(A/N: I know it took a while to get this chapter out, but I suspect it was well worth the wait. I don't care if a lot of people don't review, I'm gonna continue this fic anyway! They'll be missing out in the future when Draco and Ginny finally meet up and...well, I won't spoilt it!) 


	4. Chapter Four: Save The World

Chapter Three: Save The World  
  
It was dark by the time Ginny entered the parking lot of her apartments. Questions of what had happened and what will happen had bombarded her the entire day. Did the men suspect her? If in the Wizarding world and you're looking for a red head you first go to the Weasley's. Would someone be coming for her? What if she were caught?  
  
Ginny cautiously got out of her car, searching the ill lit lot for any suspicious people. As far as she could see, she was alone. She walked towards her apartment, keeping an eye out for any shadows. Everything was quiet, and something didn't seem right to her. She quickly plucked her keys from her pockets and with shaking hands thrust the key into the lock. Thinking she was safe she pushed through the door. That's when someone grabbed her by the arm.  
  
Ginny shrieked and turned around. A large shadow loomed over her! Her instincts kicked in and she thrust the palm of her hand into her assailants face then pulled out her wand, ready to finish him off.  
  
"Virginia!" Someone choked.  
  
That voice sounded familiar. Ginny switched the light on and recognized the person to be Ryan, the man from the interview building. Ryan was hunched over the linoleum, bleeding. Ginny brought her hand to her mouth and gasped.  
  
"I'm so sorry." She said, bending over to see if she could help.  
  
"Ow! Don't touch it!" Ryan held his hands up to his bleeding nose protectively.  
  
"Here, come in." Ginny ushered Ryan into her apartment and shut and locked the door.  
  
"I'll fix it, but I need to see it." Ginny held her wand up with one hand and with the other tried to pull Ryan's hands from his face.  
  
With great reluctance, Ryan lowered his hands and Ginny said a healing spell and Ryan's nose stopped bleeding.  
  
"Thanks." He said, rubbing the nose.  
  
"Least I could do." Ginny began laughing at the weird faces Ryan was making, as if he were trying to see his nose, his eyes going cross.  
  
"What?" He asked offended.  
  
"Oh, nothing—it's nothing." Ginny stifled her laughs. "So what are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to ask you out, but I'm beginning to think you don't like me." He smiled.  
  
"Oh?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I stopped by the Daily Prophet but someone said you had the day off so I came here. You were gone when I came the first time, so I thought I'd try back later, and this is later…"  
  
"I'm sorry I hit you, it's just that—" Oh, no way was Ginny going to drag Ryan into this mess by telling him about the conspiracy. "I have weird neighbors and I thought that…well, you know."  
  
"Is something wrong?" Ryan asked, looking intently at Ginny.  
  
"No, nothing." She tried smiling.  
  
"Well then, would you like to go out?"  
  
Ginny stood there, thinking. "I don't know, it's kind of late."  
  
"Oh, come on. First you break my nose and now you try and blow me off? Have a heart." He smiled.  
  
Ginny sighed. "All right. Maybe it'll take my mind off of things."  
  
"Great! I know this awesome Muggle club, the music is great and they serve good drinks." He took Ginny's arm and led her to his car.  
  
"You drive a Muggle vehicle too?" Ginny asked, surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I like the way it feels to know you're controlling all that steel and the speeds you can reach!"  
  
Ginny looked up at Ryan, amazed at how much they already had in common. His wavy hair and exotic eyes helped a bit too. The drive to the club was very short, and already she could feel the beating of the music from inside the building. There was a long line of people out front, but when Ryan and Ginny walked up to the door the man let them right in.  
  
"Wow!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
The inside was dark with beams of light shooting on and off, videos playing from every corner. People danced everywhere! In the center, on the stairs, on the tables. It was hard to take it all in at one glance. Ryan led her to the center floor where they began dancing. Immediately Ginny felt a little underdressed. Her jeans and shirt didn't scream that she belonged, but she didn't care, she was having too much fun.  
  
Ryan was a very good dancer. Ginny had taken Harry out dancing one night and came to realize that not all men had rhythm. It was refreshing to meet a guy who could move like Ryan did.  
  
"Are you thirsty?" Ryan screamed over the noise of the music.  
  
"Yeah!" Ginny yelled back.  
  
"Wait right here…I'll be back!"  
  
Ginny watched Ryan leave the crowd and head towards the bar. Ginny kept dancing with the music trying to take in everything at once. Soon Ryan came back holding a clear glass with a blue liquid in it.  
  
"Here, this is great!" He handed her the drink and she instantly drank it.  
  
"It burns!" She coughed.  
  
"You'll get used to it!"  
  
They continued dancing but Ginny began to feel a little dizzy. The lights and people around swirled together, blurring as they zoomed around her. She felt like she was being held upside down. She clutched at Ryan's arms to try and steady herself.  
  
"I don't feel so well." She mumbled.  
  
"What?" Ryan asked.  
  
"I feel sick." Ginny looked up into Ryan's eyes.  
  
"Here, I'll take you to the bathroom." Ryan grabbed Ginny by the waist and led her to a flight of stairs.  
  
They walked up the flight of stairs into an upper level that had more tables with people sitting, drinking and laughing. Ginny watched their faces contort in laughter and had a strange feeling they were mocking her. She tried to focus on one thing at a time, but it was impossible. Everything was flying at her from all directions. Then she began to feel like she was falling again, only this time it felt real.  
  
She looked up at a distant Ryan who was leaning over the railing. Why's he so angry? She asked, seeing his eyebrows furrow and his eyes narrow.  
  
Someone was holding her! They were carrying her out of the club!  
  
"No!" She tried to scream but it only came out as a whisper. "No! No!"  
  
The cold night air hit her causing her to regain some of her senses. She looked up at her capture and saw a streak of silver hair and a determined expression on his face.  
  
"Draco?" She mumbled, then passed out.  
  
~*~*~  
  
There was a dirt smell, and some noises that seemed to be coming from far away. The bed she was in was lumpy and the sheets were scratchy and smelled like they hadn't been washed in a while. A gnawing pain was coming from her stomach, and she realized she was hungry.  
  
"I'm hungry." She moaned. "And I have a head ache."  
  
Ginny tried sitting up but was afraid she would be sick all over the bed. She rubbed her temples with her forefingers. Looking up at the ceiling she realized it was tin—not a real ceiling.  
  
"Where am I? What happened?" Ginny successfully sat up, her vision blurry.  
  
"If I tell you," Someone said, coming up to her. "I'd have to kill you. Here, eat this."  
  
A plate was thrust into her hands and if she had been in her ordinary state she would have been repulsed by the burnt eggs and toast, but she was too hungry to care. Too hungry to even use a fork, for she grabbed at the eggs with her hands and crammed them into her mouth.  
  
"Very attractive." Draco scoffed.  
  
"What happened?" Ginny asked while eating the toast.  
  
"What? I couldn't hear you. I was busy making sure the bits of toast flying out of your mouth didn't hit me."  
  
Ginny gave an angry grunt.  
  
"Well, it's as plain as this. You were doped at the club and an attempt on your life failed, thanks to yours truly." Draco placed his hand on his chest.  
  
"I was doped? How come you didn't revive me last night then?"  
  
"They used Muggle drugs so that one; it'd look like you got high then fell off the second floor, and two; so if someone like me came along I wouldn't be able to perform a counter curse." Draco explained.  
  
"Oh no! What about Ryan?" Ginny just realized that Ryan was left at the club and whoever was chasing her might kill him too.  
  
"Ryan? The man you were with?" Ginny nodded her head. "Are you crazy? He's the one that doped your drink! If I were you, I'd be cursing him!"  
  
Everything was happening so fast that Ginny just realized she was in some sort of dwelling with a convicted murderer. A man Ginny had doubts about.  
  
Draco seemed to have seen her train of thought for he said, "Look, I'm innocent, ok? Why would I have saved you back there if I was a murderer?"  
  
This was true, Ginny thought. "How did you escape?"  
  
"Escape?" Draco laughed. "I was let free! The doors opened and I jumped out."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Why do you think?"  
  
Ginny tried to fit the pieces together. "You know something they don't?"  
  
"Correct. They set me free so they could follow me, and they'll kill anyone who gets in their way, namely you." Draco smiled as giving her this news brought pleasure to him.  
  
"I don't get it…where do I fit in?"  
  
"Well, you didn't up until two days ago. Before they were to take me to Azkaban they put a bunch of spells on me. One of them was to keep me from telling you my story, another one was to make me incapable of escape. I guess a mixture of all those spells sort of cancelled out the first one. I told you my story and some how they found out. Ryan was sent to see if you'd reveal anything then kill you."  
  
"But how did you know we were there?"  
  
"I followed you! I've been following you!" Draco paused. "I knew I told you and that you'd be in danger. For some reason I couldn't handle that on my conscience. I guess I'm getting soft in my old age."  
  
While Draco was telling his story Ginny was taking in his features. He was much different then when she interviewed him. His hair was cleaner and combed and his skin wasn't so pale. His eyes were now alight with fury and there was something alluring in them.  
  
"Ok, I don't want to answer any more questions. I need to think about what I'm going to do. Adding you into the mix has messed up my plans."  
  
"Maybe I could help." Ginny offered.  
  
Draco looked her up and down. "I seriously doubt that." He began laughing.  
  
"Hey!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"Look, I need to do this myself, alright? Now be a good girl and stay here until all this is over. No one will know you're here. You might want to put a charm on your looks or something…finally got an excuse to change that red hair of yours." He pulled at a strand of her hair, then smiled.  
  
He got up to leave but Ginny followed right behind him.  
  
"I'm not just gonna sit here and wonder what's happening out there! What if they find you?"  
  
"They won't."  
  
"Don't be so sure!"  
  
"You're staying here!"  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Yes you are!"  
  
Ginny glared her eyes at him, then grabbed his arm tightly with both her hands.  
  
"Let go!" He shouted, trying to pry her fingers off of him, but she only grabbed on tighter. "Ow!"  
  
"I'm going, whether you like it or not."  
  
"Ow, fine! See if I care." Ginny let go of his arm. "You must have a death wish."  
  
"No, I'm just very curious. Part of being a reporter." Ginny smiled.  
  
"This isn't a game, Ginny. These people have killed hundreds before, and they'll kill hundreds more." The sudden seriousness caused a sharp stab of fear to hit Ginny's heart. "Come on then, let's save the world and all that."  
  
  
  
(A/N: Yay, another chapter! Thanks you guys for all your reviews! It's rather hard keeping up two stories at once, and with school starting again my week is pretty much jam packed! I'll try and get chapters up as soon as possible, but don't fear if they take a while.  
  
~ADELA H 


	5. Chapter Five: The Danika Medallion

Chapter Five: The Danika Medallion  
  
"Where are we going?" Ginny asked.  
  
They were walking down the street, Draco kept stopping at corners, looking around, then continue down the street again. A couple of times he ducked into a store, Ginny following behind, then exited a few minutes later.  
  
"Somewhere safe." Draco answered.  
  
At the moment they were on the edge of town. Draco stood there, looking at the stretch of road in front of them. A few cars dotted the road, but they were few and far between. He started walking on the shoulder of the road, which was dirt and gravel. Ginny was beginning to feel an ache in her calves and wished they could just stop for a few seconds, but feared Draco would yell at her.  
  
"Where is safe?" She finally asked.  
  
Draco stopped, causing Ginny to come crashing into him. He looked down at her and seemed to want to say something, but held back.  
  
"Follow me." He headed into a grove of trees.  
  
Ginny looked around. The sound of twigs snapping, and birds singing echoed around her. Draco kept walking and soon they came to a lake, thousands of diamond specks shining off its surface. Off to the side was a small dock with a couple of small boats tied to it. Draco looked around and making sure no one was looking, he headed towards the dock.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked, seeing him get into one of the boats. "This is called theft!"  
  
"No, it's called barrowing, I'll bring it back. No get in."  
  
Ginny could feel her palms start to sweat. She'd never broken a law before and was reluctant to start now. Before she could make up her mind Draco tugged on her arm, causing her to fall into the boat. Draco began rowing to the middle of the lake then stopped.  
  
"Have you ever heard of the Danika?" Draco nearly whispered.  
  
"The Danika? The ancient cult?" Ginny was a little familiar with the Danika.  
  
Studying Ancient Wizard Civilizations wasn't her best subject, but she remembered the Danika. Twice in history the Danika have appeared, once 2,500 BC and the second when the four founders were alive. Some believed the Danika would rise again, but Prophecy wasn't looked upon in the same light as it was a thousand years ago.  
  
"What about the Danika." Ginny said.  
  
"It's rising." Draco paused. "It's hard to explain—to know where to start. Of course you probably know the history, so I won't bore you with details of the past. Voldemort believed in the Danika and tried in vain to search for any information about it, but wasn't able to. There is said to be a medallion that holds the secrets to the Danika, but no one knows where it is or what it looks like."  
  
"Wait," Ginny interrupted. "What does this have to do with you?" Ginny had guessed that the Death Eaters probably were involved, but Draco told her himself he wasn't a Death Eater.  
  
"Everything!" Draco exclaimed. "My last two years at Hogwarts were dedicated to finding any material that would lead me to its whereabouts. I searched the school every minute I could, nothing else mattered. If Voldemort's followers found it first…" Draco shuttered.  
  
Ginny had no idea Draco was so against Voldemort. Earlier in his school year he seemed to embrace the Dark Arts and went out of his way to let every one know. Something must have happened between his fifth and sixth year…something big to cause such a change.  
  
"Why did you go against your Father?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Just because I think Muggles shouldn't learn magic doesn't mean I think we should do away with them, any more than I think we should do away with penguins because they serve no purpose. Voldemort wanted a world purified of Muggles. To him they were disgusting creatures." He smiled. "Bet you didn't know his Father was a Muggle, eh?"  
  
"A Muggle? But why would he want to—"  
  
"Because, Ginny! Why do we do anything?" Draco's voice steadily got louder and louder. "He was driven to it. He's sick."  
  
There was a short pause in which Ginny noticed the sky growing darker. The air grew colder as well, and Ginny wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to get warmer.  
  
"Did your Father know?" Ginny broke the silence.  
  
"Not at first. And when he found out, the bastard, he thought I was trying to help him. I didn't tell him otherwise, so I went on with my search without worry. There are many rooms at Hogwarts, Ginny, that no one has entered in decades. You just have to know when and where to find the doors."  
  
"Why would Hogwarts have anything in it that had to do with such a horrible cult?"  
  
"Salazar was the second person in history to bring the Danika back. He found the medallion in Africa, brought it to Hogwarts and tried to find its mysteries. Nearly did, too. No one knows exactly what the medallion holds within it. Some say it's the mysteries of the world and universe. Others say it has power to control the world."  
  
"Well, if you knew the mysteries of the universe, wouldn't that be the power? You know, the power to control the world?"  
  
Draco looked at Ginny quizzically. "You're very surprising."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just when I thought you couldn't get any dense you answer correctly. I think you hide a lot more in that head of yours than you let on."  
  
Ginny blushed and looked out to the water.  
  
Draco continued, "Before Salazar could finish his work on the medallion Godric discovered what he was doing and stopped him. After that all trace of the medallion has left historical records. Nothing after that mentions the Danika or the medallion. Scholars today think it never existed. Very few history texts mention it. But it's out there."  
  
"How do you know?" Ginny asked, anxious for an answer.  
  
"One day I found a door at Hogwarts. I had never seen this door and a peculiar mark was on the outside. It was three snakes intertwined…"  
  
"The mark of Slytherin!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"Yes. I knew at once what was behind the door and when I entered my theories were proven correct. A vast library, larger than the public one in the main corridor, was behind the door. This was Salazars library, filled with his books. I cleaned the place of its cobwebs and searched through every book and finally I found it. His account of what happened with the Danika. His story through his quill." Draco's eyes lit up with pleasure.  
  
"And then?"  
  
"My Father found out about my discovery, but I destroyed the text, but not before committing it to memory. This was right after graduation and I was to be executed on Voldemort's orders. I fled my Father's house and assumed a new identity, bent on finding the medallion, tracing it's path through time, now that I knew where to begin."  
  
"But then why would Voldemort still want you on his side? You know? Wanting to meet."  
  
"Why do you think?" Draco spat. "I found the medallion."  
  
  
(A/N: Ok, I"m so sorry, but I have like aboslutely no time to do chapters any more! So now my chapters are going to be short and not as often. Gosh, I need to hurry up and make it rich so I can lounge all day, writing Harry Potter fan fic, lol!!!) 


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